HVLS fan cost and sizing
For warehouses, distribution centres and industrial buildings.
Most suppliers won't tell you what an HVLS fan costs, and the ones who post a price are usually quoting the fan alone, with no mounting, no electrical work and no installation. That makes it hard to compare anything.
This page explains what actually drives the cost of a project, how we size fans for a building, and what to have ready so a quote comes back accurate the first time.
Why we quote per project
The fan is one line on the invoice. What changes the total is your building: how high the roof is, what it is made of, how far the nearest panel is, and how many fans the floor area needs. A quote for one 24 ft fan in an open bay and a quote for six fans over racking are different jobs.
We quote the whole thing, so what you see is the installed cost rather than a headline price with extras added later.
What drives the cost
Fan size and how many you need
Bigger fans cost more, but one large fan often costs less than the three small ones it replaces, and there is only one install and one point of maintenance.
Mounting height and roof structure
Open steel joists are straightforward. Concrete, wood, unusual bracing or very high roofs need extra hardware and more time in a lift.
Electrical work
This is the part people forget. It covers the run from your panel to each fan, the drive, and the labour. Distance and supply voltage matter more than the fan does.
Controls
A single fan with its own drive is simple. Several fans on one control unit costs more up front and less to run day to day. One GALE Master unit manages up to 8 fans.
Site access
Working around your operation, in the evening, or in a live warehouse takes longer than working in an empty building.
Shipping
Freight to your site. We handle it, and it appears as its own line.
What isn't in the price: a dealer's cut
We are the Canadian distributor, so you buy direct with no dealer markup in between.
The Enbridge incentive, in the other direction
For qualifying Ontario warehouses, $3,000 to $4,000 per fan comes off the project. On a 24 ft fan that covers the majority of the equipment cost.
What it costs to run
A GALE Series fan draws between 0.5 and 1.8 kW, depending on the model. For comparison, that is in the range of a kettle, for a fan covering up to 21,500 sq ft.
The motor is a PMSM direct drive with no gearbox, so there is no oil to change and nothing to service on a schedule. The warranty runs 3 years, with support for 10.
0.5–1.8 kW
Power draw per fan
21,500 sq ft
Coverage, largest model
10–15 years
Expected fan life
How to size fans for your building
- 1
Measure ceiling height and floor area
Height to the underside of the roof structure, not to the racking. Note the bay layout if the building is split.
- 2
Pick the diameter from the ceiling height
Fans need room to move air, so a bigger fan needs a higher roof.
GALE Series models by diameter, with mounting height range, coverage per fan and power draw Model Diameter Mounting height Coverage per fan Power G-7.3E 24 ft 23–66 ft Up to 21,500 sq ft 1.8 kW G-7.3S 24 ft 23–59 ft Up to 16,100 sq ft 1.5 kW G-6.1 20 ft 20–43 ft Up to 8,600 sq ft 1.0 kW G-5.5 18 ft 16–36 ft Up to 6,400 sq ft 0.9 kW G-5.0 16 ft 16–33 ft Up to 5,300 sq ft 0.75 kW G-4.2 14 ft 13–23 ft Up to 4,300 sq ft 0.7 kW - 3
Work out how many fans
Divide your floor area by the coverage figure, then adjust. Coverage figures assume open space. Racking, mezzanines, partitions and low-hanging lights all cut into it.
- 4
Check what's in the way
Lighting, cranes, ducting and dock doors decide where a fan can actually hang. It is better to find this out before the quote than on install day.
We do all four steps as part of the quote, using your floor plan.
What to have ready for a quote
You'll get a faster and more accurate number if you have these:
- Floor area and ceiling height
- A floor plan or a satellite image of the building
- Supply voltage available at the panel, for example 208V, 240V or 600V
- How the building is heated, which decides whether the Enbridge incentive applies
- Roof structure, if you know it: steel joists, concrete, wood
- Hours when installers can work
Questions worth asking any supplier
Not only us. These are the answers that separate a real quote from a thin one:
- Is the motor direct drive or geared?
- Gearboxes need oil changes and eventually leak. Direct drive does not.
- How was the airflow figure measured?
- CFM can be measured in more than one way, and the numbers are not comparable. Ask what method produced the figure.
- Does the quote include mounting hardware, safety cables and the drive?
- Or is that extra?
- Does the fan work with my supply voltage?
- Equipment built for other markets often is not set up for Canadian 208V, 240V or 600V services.
- What electrical certification does the equipment carry for use in Canada?
- Ask to see it in writing.
- Who handles the rebate paperwork?
- And is the incentive confirmed before you sign, or afterwards?
- What happens if a fan fails in year 4?
- Ask about parts and lead times, not just the warranty length.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the fan size, how many fans the space needs, mounting height, and the electrical work at your site. The fan itself is usually a smaller share of a project than people expect. We quote the installed cost for your building, and in Ontario the Enbridge incentive of $3,000 to $4,000 per fan comes off qualifying projects.
They are not really, once you count what they replace. One 24 ft fan covers up to 21,500 sq ft, which takes dozens of small fans to match, and it draws 0.5 to 1.8 kW doing it. The cost is in the motor, the blade engineering and the mounting, all of which are built for continuous use in a warehouse.
Start with ceiling height, which sets the diameter, then use floor area to work out how many. The table above gives the mounting range and coverage for each model. Racking and obstructions reduce coverage, so a plan beats a chart.
In Ontario the Enbridge incentive covers $4,000 of a 24 ft fan, which is the majority of the equipment cost on most qualifying projects. After the incentive, a typical warehouse pays the rest back on heating savings alone in 3 to 5 years, sooner in taller buildings that run long hours. Summer cooling savings come on top of that.
GALE Series fans are built for a 10 to 15 year life. The PMSM direct drive motor is maintenance-free for 10 years or more, with a 3-year warranty and 10 years of support.
The fan needs to be mounted to the structure and wired by an electrician. In Ontario we handle the installation with local electricians. Elsewhere in Canada we find and qualify local installers and supervise the work.
Get a quote for your building
Send us your floor area and ceiling height and we'll come back within 1 to 2 business days with a size, a layout and a price.